


Putting the Dog to Sleep

by mawzzco



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Depression, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Intrusive Thoughts, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Modern AU/College AU, Mutual Pining, shulk is autistic and it's never explicitly stated but it's there, slow burn (?), this started as a vent fic but i kept going and it turned into this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22791241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mawzzco/pseuds/mawzzco
Summary: "You said I can't prove to youYou're not gonna die aloneBut trust me to take you homeTo clean up that blood all over your paws"A modern AU vent fic featuring characters from a game I love very much.edit: i promise this will get updated eventually gfhdjfgf
Relationships: Melia Ancient | Melia Antiqua/Fiora, Reyn/Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	1. Peppermint Tea

**Author's Note:**

> this started as a vent fic so be aware that there's a fuck ton of self-projection here and in future chapters

Shulk impatiently awaited the return of his roommate, knowing he was going to scold him for skipping class again. Even though Reyn never did really… scold him, he knew this time Reyn would most likely be fed up with him skipping classes. Every week he’d end up skipping more classes. First it started with one, then he skipped two, then four. Last week he only ended up going to two of his classes. 

Maybe he just wasn’t cut out for the whole engineering thing, or maybe he just didn’t fit into the monotonous, boring, day-to-day routine of college. Maybe that was it. He’d much rather be working on other things than assignments. He’s known all the stuff he’s learning since he was a kid anyways, what was the point? 

As his mind wandered, he flipped through the channels on the TV. Maybe finding something interesting to watch would take his mind off of the school thing. He’ll worry about it tomorrow, is what he said yesterday, and the day before that. 

Before he could find something to watch, Reyn walked in the door, and Shulk went from laying on the couch to sitting upright. 

“Hey, Shulk,” Reyn greeted, setting his things down by the door. Shulk draped himself over the couch, watching as Reyn set his books on the table. 

“Hey,” he replied robotically. 

“Vangarre’s drills were super intense today, so I’m gonna take a shower,” Reyn quickly slipped out of his jacket. “And then, after, we’re gonna talk.”

Shulk could already feel himself losing it, and Reyn hasn’t even said anything yet. 

“It’s nothing bad, so don’t get all worked up, okay?” With that, Reyn disappeared, probably not for long, leaving Shulk with his thoughts and the TV.

Shulk grumbled, feeling his entire body start to ache. Maybe he was getting sick again, he always gets sick when he’s stressed. No, this was more than just… stress. Normally Shulk would be able to push himself to do the assignments, to go to the classes. Why not now? Shulk sighed, stuck with himself. He was great at problem-solving, but this was a problem he’d never really seen before. Not in himself, not in anyone he knew. He figured that the very thought of his grades dropping would be enough to motivate him, but he found himself not caring at all. He used to be a perfectionist when he was a kid, but ever since high school...

_What the hell happened?_

He turned his attention outside. It was a cold, dreary, rainy day. Rain pattered against the window as the wind howled outside. It made Shulk think about when he used to go out in the rain when he was a kid, despite being advised against it. If he stayed out for too long, he’d get sick. 

Shulk walked over to the window and opened it. He stuck his arm out into the rain, and felt the small droplets against his arm. It was cold, but it made him feel warm at the same time, like he didn’t have to focus on anything else except for the rain. That was before he realized he probably looked a bit silly sticking his arm out in the rain like that. 

He went back to the couch, continuing to flip through the channels on the TV. That’s when he heard Reyn walk in, and his heart immediately started beating twice as fast. He didn’t want to say anything, not yet at least. Not until he knew what was going on. But he didn’t. He kept his focus on the TV, and a few moments passed before he realized Reyn was actually making tea. He knew that if Reyn was in the kitchen, he was most likely doing that, since he didn’t know how to do much else culinary-wise. 

Shulk didn’t like this silence between them.

“Um… what are you making?” Shulk asked cautiously. 

“Peppermint tea, your favourite,” Reyn answered. “I could use some too, it’s good for stress and anxiety, and I had a really long day today.” He hummed as he continued to work his magic. Reyn was surprisingly good at making herbal tea, and Shulk wondered how a man so terrible at cooking could be so good at making tea. 

He also wondered how a single man could be so terribly attractive, but he wanted to save those thoughts for later. 

Reyn and Shulk had known each other since they were kids, so they knew pretty much everything about each other. Much to Shulk’s dismay, Reyn could read him like a book, and whenever he knew something was up, he was kind enough to make Shulk’s favourite tea for him. Which was sweet, but Reyn was always someone who wanted to know what was going on. Shulk doesn’t blame him, after all, he knows bottling up your emotions isn’t good for you. But this time Shulk didn’t want to talk, because he didn’t know what was going on. 

His thoughts were interrupted as Reyn handed him his cup of tea and sat down next to him on the couch, looking straight at him. Sometimes it felt as if Reyn was staring into Shulk’s soul. 

“So, tell me,” Reyn started. “What’s going on? You’ve been skipping classes, skipping lunch, and ya always look like you’ve been beaten down. Talk to me, Shulk.”

Shulk looked at his hands, then at his sweater, then at Reyn. He began picking at the lint on his sweater, a nervous habit of his. 

“I… I dunno….” Shulk began, his voice quivering. “I don’t even know what’s going on. These days I just… something about the endless routine of all this- every day being the same, it’s draining. And I used to be able to do it, but something’s happened and now I can’t.” 

“Do you mean… like, school? The routine of school is draining you?” Reyn always asked questions, not with ill intent. He wanted to understand. 

“I don’t know…” Shulk shook his head. “But it’s all getting harder… waking up in the morning, making breakfast, taking care of myself in general has just been getting… harder… and how can I focus on school if I can’t even take care of myself first?” 

The air was still for a moment. Their apartment was quiet. Reyn spoke.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself lately… tell ya what, let’s try and see like… a therapist or somethin’ soon, and we’ll get ya checked out, okay?”

“Reyn, I don’t wanna go through all of that again…”

“I know, but it might help.”

Reyn pulled Shulk into a hug, rubbing his back comfortingly. Shulk couldn’t even cry at this point, he was too exhausted. Exhausted from all the overthinking he’s been doing. He’s already cried enough on his own already, he doesn’t have to cry in front of Reyn, not again. Reyn’s already seen him cry so many times. He hated crying around others. 

“I just feel so weak,” Shulk mumbled into Reyn’s shoulder.

“You’re not weak, Shulk,” Reyn reassured him, hugging him closer. “You’ve been through a lot, your brain’s probably just relapsing or somethin’...” 

That made sense, after all depression does have a tendency to come and bite back at random times, right? It never really does go away, as much as Shulk would like it to. 

“Maybe you should sleep,” Reyn suggested, letting go of Shulk.

“I’ve already slept a lot today, besides, I have work to do,” Shulk’s shoulders dropped. 

“Are you actually gonna get it done?” 

Shulk sat for a moment as Reyn gazed at him, crossing his arms. When Shulk shook his head, his friend sighed. 

“Maybe I should drop out,” Shulk said after taking a sip of his tea. “Maybe I’m just… not cut out for this.”

“And give up on the thing you’ve been working towards since you were a kid?!” That’s what worried Reyn. “Shulk, you’re a lot of things, but a quitter ain’t one of them! Listen to yourself!”

Shulk sighed. Sometimes he felt like his brain was fighting against him. This was one of those times. He fiddled with his necklace as he collected his thoughts, or at least tried to. To say he was a mess would be a bit of an understatement. 

“Right, you’re sleepin’ in my room tonight,” Reyn exclaimed. Shulk’s jaw dropped.

“I’m- what?” 

“I don’t wanna leave you alone tonight, I’m worried your head might tell you to do something reckless.” Reyn sat up straight, looking Shulk in the eyes. “I’m not taking any risks.” 

With Shulk’s history, that was… understandable. Anyone with a best friend who was admitted to the hospital over a self-harm attempt would worry about them, right? Shulk had strategies to suppress the urges, and he almost wanted to argue with Reyn that he would be okay. But he didn’t even know if he would be.

He wasn’t too concerned about that right now, though, and was more concerned over the fact that he could feel his face heating up. He knew for a fact that sleeping in the same room as Reyn meant sharing a bed.

Oh boy…

“Reyn, are you sure? I mean… I’ll probably be okay-” Shulk was cut off by Reyn shushing him abruptly. 

“Like I said, I’m not taking any risks!” Reyn patted Shulk on the shoulder as he stood up from the couch. “Now finish up your tea before it gets cold, alright?”

As Reyn left the room, Shulk couldn’t help but think how lucky he was to have a friend like Reyn. Someone who cared about him so deeply that he insisted on sharing a room for the night because he’s worried that Shulk might do something reckless and- fuck. Shulk could already feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He wasn’t sure whether he should feel nervous or not, after all, it’s just Reyn. Reyn, who he’d been crushing on for as long as he can remember, who was unfairly attractive, who’s protected him since he was little.

“ _Dammit_ ,” Shulk hissed to himself.

\------

“Put me down!” Shulk squirmed as Reyn carried him over his shoulder. It was almost midnight, and Shulk has been mindlessly staring at the ceiling for probably several hours. 

“Nope!” Reyn simply replied, carrying the ridiculously light Shulk to his bedroom. “It’s late, you’re tired, and you need to sleep.” 

“I’m not tired!” Shulk argued.

“I can see the bags under your eyes, mate. You need to sleep.” 

As Reyn set Shulk down on his bed, he saw the blonde pouting at him. Reyn chuckled to himself at the sight. 

“Don’t pout at me! You know I’m right,” Reyn ruffled his friend’s hair, mostly out of idle habit. Shulk just crossed his arms in response. “Giving me the silent treatment, huh?” 

No response. 

“Alright then, that’s fine. You can say you’re not tired all ya want, but I can see it in your eyes.” Reyn adjusted the pillows of the bed for Shulk, knowing he slept with one pillow rather than two. “At least get comfy.” 

Without saying a word, Shulk obliged, setting himself down on Reyn’s bed and covering himself with the blanket. At least this bed was big enough for two people. A few moments after Shulk lied down, Reyn started petting him, playing with his hair as he stroked him. 

“Y’know, you mean a lot to me,” Reyn began. “I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I lost you.” His voice cracked a bit. Shulk blushed at the comment, although he did notice the slight shift in Reyn’s tone of voice. Unable to think of a good reply, Shulk just hummed, enjoying the moment. They were best friends, but Reyn wasn’t usually affectionate like this. It made him feel warm, and loved. 

“Reyn… I…” Shulk muttered, feeling himself nodding off. “You… mean a lot to me too.” He could feel his face getting red again. Reyn smiled at him, chuckling a little bit, and Shulk could’ve sworn he saw a faint blush on his cheeks. No, he was probably imagining things. He was tired after all, even if he didn’t want to admit it. 

\------

After about half an hour, Shulk had dozed off. Reyn was still wide awake, however, looking down at his sleeping friend. He couldn’t help but think about how peaceful Shulk looked when he slept. It was cute. The only thing Reyn was really concerned about was Shulk hogging the covers. 

That, and his crush on Shulk. 

Before his thoughts could get any further, his phone buzzed. 

_[12:38am] Fiora: Reyn? are you still awake?_

Reyn lay on the bed next to Shulk, making sure to keep his distance so he wouldn’t disturb his friend’s sleep. 

_[12:38am] Reyn: yeah. what’s up?_

_[12:38am] Fiora: i’m a bit concerned about Shulk._

_[12:38am] Fiora: is he still awake?_

_[12:39am] Reyn: nah. he’s asleep. he’s sleeping in my room tonight._

_[12:39am] Fiora: oh, did you finally tell him? ;)_

_[12:39am] Reyn: no!! i’m just concerned about him is all… he’s been skipping all his classes and he’s barely eating._

_[12:40am] Fiora: i heard… everyone else has noticed he’s been a bit down too. he just hasn’t been himself lately._

_[12:40am] Reyn: yeah, we talked a bit. i think his depression’s flaring up again._

_[12:40am] Fiora: that’s what i thought too… what’d he say?_

_[12:41am] Reyn: said he’s having a hard time taking care of himself lately, he even said he might drop out, that he’s “not cut out for this”_

_[12:41am] Fiora: he must be really down then… is there anything we can do to help?_

_[12:41am] Reyn: i don’t know… just let me take care of him for now, i’ll think of something._

_[12:42am] Fiora: alright, i trust you, reyn. although, don’t be surprised if i show up with something special for you both tomorrow :)_

_[12:42am] Reyn: i’m sure that’ll cheer shulk up! just make sure not to use too many vegetables_

_[12:43am] Fiora: don’t worry, i won’t! i should probably head to bed now, melly’s already passed out. goodnight! ^^_

Setting his phone down, Reyn sighed, then looked over at Shulk. He wanted nothing more than to hold him close and tell him everything was going to be okay, that nothing could ever hurt him. It was his job to protect Shulk, it had been ever since they were kids. He’d made a promise to himself that he’d protect Shulk for as long as he could. He wasn’t about to give up that promise. 


	2. Early Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter but it's a chapter nonetheless!!!!!!

Shulk shot awake, gasping for air as if he’d been drowning. His heart felt like it was about to beat a hole through his chest as his head ached, desperately trying to wrap his head around what the hell his brain had conjured up. He had another nightmare. Another damn nightmare about hurting someone he loved. He had these nightmares often, almost every night, in fact. He’d always been prone to nightmares, ever since he was a kid. 

The world is a scary place. 

As Shulk wiped his face, he realized he’d been crying in his sleep.  _ Pathetic _ , his head told him. He looked over at Reyn, who was still sleeping. Shulk figured he wouldn’t have woken Reyn, after all his friend was an incredibly heavy sleeper. 

_ Should I wake him up? _ Shulk thought to himself.  _ No… it’d be pointless. I’ll just get some water and go back to sleep.  _

Sitting up, Shulk sighed, realizing it was only 3:00am. He hadn’t been asleep for long. 

“Shulk?” He heard a voice softly call out his name. He thought Reyn was asleep… his shuffling must’ve woken him. 

“Reyn…” Shulk whispered. “Uh, sorry for waking you…”

“No, no it’s okay, man.” Reyn turned around and sat up. “What’s up?”

“I just had a bad dream,” Shulk didn’t want to lie to Reyn, after all, he knew he was a horrible liar. “It’s not a big deal, I’ll just-” 

Before Shulk could finish his sentence, Reyn pulled him into a hug. Shulk was taken aback at first, but eventually he relaxed in Reyn’s hold, feeling a bit safer. Safer from the outside world. Reyn looked Shulk in the eyes, sighing when he realized that the blonde was much more upset than he made it out to be. 

“You were crying,” Reyn stated blankly. “I can see it in your face, Shulk.” Shulk buried his face into Reyn’s chest.

“I didn’t want to worry you…” Shulk mumbled. He could feel tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. “I-I don’t wanna hurt you…”

“Shulk, you would never hurt me,” Reyn reassured. 

“But what if I did?” Tears ran down Shulk’s cheeks. He heard his voice crack as he spoke. “What if one day I couldn’t control myself and I hurt you? What if my impulses win, Reyn? Then what?”

“I still wouldn’t abandon you…” Reyn whispered. He began rubbing Shulk’s back comfortingly. “Shulk, I know in the past you’ve acted on impulse, but that wasn’t… you.” 

“What do you mean?” Shulk sniffled into Reyn’s shoulder. “I still… I still hurt people.”

“What I mean is… that wasn’t the real you doing that. The Shulk I know would never hurt anyone on purpose!” Reyn leaned his head on Shulk’s. “That wasn’t you, that was… something else… your impulses. I mean… sometimes things might drive you to… act out, but that doesn’t make you a bad person.” 

Shulk paused for a moment, before his soft crying turned into sobbing. Reyn let him cry, he figured his friend probably needed to let out all those feelings. He wasn’t quite sure exactly what Shulk was feeling, but whatever it was he’d obviously been bottling it up for a long time. 

The two of them sat there for a while, and when Shulk finally began to calm down, Reyn spoke up again. 

“Shulk, you’re an amazing person, you’re not harmful in the slightest…” Reyn’s voice was quiet, but Shulk found comfort in that. “You’d never hurt me. You never would, and you never will. What happened back then doesn’t matter, you were young, and you didn’t know how to control your impulses…”

“Reyn, I bashed a kid’s face in with a baseball bat,” Shulk grumbled. “That’s…  _ bad _ .”

“I’m not saying that what you did wasn’t bad. I’m saying that you have a lot more control over yourself now, and you know what to do when those thoughts come at you. And I’ll be here to help you overcome them, too.” 

Shulk sniffled and looked up at Reyn, who was gazing at him hopefully. The blonde smiled slightly, and hugged his best friend closer, relishing in the warmth and comfort he provided. He couldn’t help but giggle to himself a bit.

“What’s so funny?” Reyn asked.

“Nothing, I’m just thinking about how lucky I am to have you by my side,” Shulk smiled warmly. “Thanks, Reyn.”

For once, it felt like Shulk didn’t have anything to worry about. All these issues he had - his intrusive thoughts, trauma, depression - all of it seemed to melt away in Reyn’s warm embrace. Despite his instincts to push people away, he wanted to pull Reyn closer, wanted to just tell him everything that was going on. 

But, he found he couldn’t.  _ Not now… _ he thought.  _ Maybe later.  _ He was happy to be like this, just with Reyn. 

Meanwhile, Reyn could practically feel his heartbeat throughout his entire body. With Shulk pressed up against him like this, he was surprised he hadn't noticed. Or maybe he had, he just didn’t want to comment on it. 

“I’m real lucky to have you as my best friend,” Reyn managed to speak out amidst his slight panic. “An’ you’re real strong, I know you can pull through this.” 

Shulk let out a content sigh, and Reyn could feel his heart flutter. He could feel Shulk smiling against him, and it brought him comfort to know that he’d successfully cheered up his friend. Cheering up Shulk was a difficult task, but Reyn knew a hug and  _ a lot _ of reassurance was just the trick. 

“You should get back to sleep,” Reyn suggested, pulling away from Shulk. To his surprise, his friend clung to him like a koala. 

“‘M not tired…” Shulk mumbled. “I wanna stay like this.” 

_ Here we go again…  _ Reyn rolled his eyes. He knew what a sleep-deprived Shulk looked like, and this was definitely it. It was almost as if the blonde became drunk when he was tired. It was…  _ adorable _ , but at the same time, hard to manage. 

“You’re clearly tired, Shulk. Ya gotta get off me now.” Reyn tried to push Shulk away, but his grip was strong. “C’mon, Shulk.”

The blonde didn’t budge, and Reyn couldn’t help but smirk.

“If you don’t get off me, I’ll tickle you,” Reyn threatened, poking Shulk in the side. While Reyn was expecting some kind of reaction, he wasn’t expecting a  _ squeak _ to come out of Shulk. 

“What was  _ that _ ?” Reyn chuckled.

“...Nothing.”

“Nothing, huh?” He went to poke Shulk again, and another squeak came out. This time, the blonde pulled away, covering his sides with his arms. 

“Reyn, stop it!” Shulk half-whined, half-giggled. 

“Stop what? _ This _ ?” This time he poked Shulk in the stomach. His friend recoiled as he tried to fight back another squeak, but failed. 

“Reyn, c’mon! Stop poking me!” Shulk hid his face in his hands, clearly embarrassed.  _ Cute… _ Reyn thought to himself. 

“I can’t believe you’re still so ticklish after all these years,” Reyn teased, continuing to poke at Shulk’s stomach. The blonde started curling in on himself to block out Reyn’s fingers, but Reyn was persistent, and began squeezing Shulk’s sides instead. 

“R-Reyn!” Shulk cried before bursting into a fit of giggles. “No! Stop it!” His face was already flushed, and his laughter was high-pitched. Reyn couldn’t think of anything more adorable. When his hands moved to Shulk’s stomach, his heart sang when he heard his friend’s laughter become squeaky. Clearly this was a tickle spot; he’d have to keep this in mind for later. 

After a few minutes, Reyn felt Shulk grab his wrists and push them away, signalling he’d had enough. Normally, Reyn would’ve stopped on his own, but he’d gotten distracted by just how  _ cute _ Shulk’s laughter was. 

“Oops, sorry…” Reyn looked down at an exhausted Shulk. At least he’d managed to make him tired. “Got a bit distracted there.” 

“It’s… okay…” Shulk breathed out, residual giggles bubbling out of him. His face was still a bright pink, and once he realized he was still blushing, he brought his hands up to his face. 

“Now I know what to do when you’re being stubborn with me,” Reyn joked, nudging Shulk with his elbow. “Dunno why I didn’t think of this earlier!” 

“Reyn…” Shulk grumbled, covering his face with his hands. “That’s not fair!” 

“I’m just kidding!” Reyn patted Shulk’s shoulder. “...Mostly.” 

Shulk groaned into his hands, prompting Reyn to chuckle to himself. Sighing, Shulk removed his hands from his face, still blushing a bit. He smiled sheepishly and looked at Reyn.

“It’s almost 4…” Reyn said, looking at the clock. He scratched the back of his head, and looked at Shulk. 

“Sorry about waking you…” Shulk sighed. 

“It’s okay, you obviously needed me around. What good would I have been if I was asleep, right?” 

Shulk let out a half-chuckle and nodded, trying not to feel guilty for waking Reyn. Quietly, he slipped back under the covers, shifting into a comfortable position before looking at Reyn. 

“Reyn,” Shulk whispered. “Can we do something tomorrow?”

“Huh?” Reyn tilted his head. “You mean like… go out somewhere?”

“Yeah. I need to get out of the apartment for a bit… do something else, y’know?” 

“Okay… well, what do you wanna do?” 

Shulk turned on his side to look at his friend as he thought. 

“I dunno,” Shulk finally said after a few moments deep in thought. Reyn chuckled. 

“How about a walk to the park? I finish my classes earlier than usual today, so I’ll take you.”

“I’d like that,” Shulk nodded and smiled.

  
  



	3. Lakeview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY SO IM UPDATING THIS A MONTH LATER IM SORRY this chapter was originally gonna be a lot longer but i decided to cut it in two and im not done the second half so yea more waiting :( sowwy  
> ANYWAYS at least i wrote smth... Yes

It was that time of Autumn where the leaves had started to fall, and the trees started to lose their colour. Early November. Shulk had always recognized November as a rough month, when everything began to turn grey outside. It would always be cloudy and miserable out, the only time where Shulk enjoyed the grey skies was when it was raining. But it rarely rains in November, not here, at least.

Shulk looked out the window, sighing heavily. Reyn had classes in the morning, so he had to wait until the afternoon until they could go to the park together. It was grey, and the window felt cold to the touch, signalling that outside was no different. 

It was currently 11:15am, meaning Reyn was done with classes soon. Shulk couldn’t exactly remember what time Reyn said he’d be done, he just knew it was somewhere between 11:30am-12:00pm.  _ Staring out the window’s not gonna pass time, you dolt, _ Shulk thought to himself.  _ Find something else to do. _

The apartment was quiet. There were a lot of things Shulk could do to pass the time, but he didn’t have time to think before his phone buzzed.

_ [11:17am] Melia: Hello, Shulk. Fiora and I will be visiting you and Reyn this evening, but I wasn’t sure if you were informed. I wanted to make sure there weren’t any surprises, as I know you aren’t fond of last minute changes. _

Shulk couldn’t help but smile to himself. Melia was always very considerate, especially when it came to changes in plans. 

_ [11:18am] Shulk: thanks for the heads up, melia! i’m excited to see you both!  _

_ [11:18am] Melia: As am I! Fiora is planning to make something as well.  _

_ [11:19am] Melia: Oh, and have you told Reyn yet? _

Shulk sighed. Both Fiora and Melia had been bugging him to tell Reyn about his feelings for him for a couple months, ever since the two had started dating, in fact. He regretted ever telling Fiora. 

_ [11:19am] Shulk: no, i haven’t…  _

_ [11:20am] Melia: You should, Shulk.  _

_ [11:20am] Shulk: but i can’t!!! _

_ [11:20am] Melia: I think you’ll find that you can.  _

_ [11:20am] Shulk: why are you and fiora so persistent on me telling reyn about my feelings for him? do you know something i don’t??? _

_ [11:21am] Melia: ...Perhaps ;) _

_ [11:21am] Shulk: that’s really ominous wtf _

_ [11:21am] Melia: Shulk, do you remember when I consulted you about my feelings for Fiora?  _

_ [11:22am] Shulk: of course i remember!  _

_ [11:22am] Melia: I owe it to you to do the same for you.  _

_ [11:23am] Melia: Let me know if you need anything, alright? Both Fiora and I are here for support. _

_ [11:23am] Shulk: thanks melia, it means a lot to me _

_ [11:23am] Shulk: i guess…. i’m waiting for the right time to tell him _

_ [11:23am] Shulk: i don’t really know how to go about telling him  _

_ [11:24am] Melia: In all honesty… I cannot give advice as I confessed my feelings by accident… _

_ [11:24am] Shulk: i still don’t understand how that happened _

_[11:24am] Melia: Try not to dwell on it too much, Shulk._ _  
__[11:25am] Melia: You’ll know when the time is right._

Shulk sighed again, setting his phone down. As much as he did want to tell Reyn about how he felt, he just… couldn’t. He didn’t want to put their friendship at risk, lose his best friend over unshared romantic feelings. Just the thought of it made him upset, but he didn’t want to focus on that. He shook his head, shaking the thought away.  _ Reyn should be here any minute now…  _ Shulk thought to himself. Of course, as soon as he thought that, the front door swung open.

“Hey, Shulk!” Reyn stood in the entrance of their apartment. “You ready?”

Shulk stood up from his seat at the window and nodded, making his way over to Reyn. Whenever he stood next to his friend, he couldn’t help but notice just how  _ tall _ he was, and how small he was in comparison. After all, there was a good foot between them in height. 

Shulk grabbed his coat and scarf, following Reyn out the door. It’d been a while since they’d been able to go out together, just the two of them. 

As they walked down the hall, there was a comfortable silence between them. Shulk always felt as if he had to break the silence in any conversation, but he felt comfort in knowing that he could be quiet around Reyn without judgement. He felt safe around Reyn.

Shulk immediately felt the wind chill as they both stepped outside. He shivered a bit, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t get used to. 

“It’s quite cold out,” Reyn commented. “Good thing you brought your scarf, huh?” Shulk nodded in response, and the pair set out for the park.

\------

There were still a few leaves left on the trees in the park, although Shulk suspected they wouldn’t last too long. It was quiet, strangely enough. The park often had plenty of people walking about, but it seemed today everyone wanted to stay indoors. Not that Shulk minded, of course, he preferred it this way. 

“It’s quiet,” Reyn observed, and Shulk hummed in agreement. “It’s not usually like this. Not a person in sight.” Reyn looked around, but saw no one. 

“Yeah, it’s weird…” Shulk mumbled as he walked next to Reyn. “But, I don’t mind it.”

“I’m not saying I mind it, I’m just saying it’s a bit odd.” Reyn said. They continued walking along the path, taking in the environment. Although a bit grey, Shulk couldn’t deny the park still looked nice. It had a nice view of the lake, and whatever was beyond it. The lakeview was definitely Shulk’s favourite part. It made him want to explore and see what was out there in the world, remaining undiscovered. 

“Do you ever wonder what’s on the other side of the lake?” Shulk asked.

“No, not really. Probably just… forest,” Reyn answered, looking down at his friend. “Maybe some animals… who knows.” 

“I’m sort of curious to see what’s out there,” Shulk gazed out into the horizon, and Reyn noticed a hint of curiosity in his eyes. 

“That’s just like you,” Reyn chuckled. “Always wantin’ go to out and see the world. Maybe you should be a pilot or something.”

“I wouldn’t trust myself with a plane,” Shulk giggled. 

They walked in silence for a while before stopping to sit at a bench, one with a great view of the lake. The sound of the small waves relaxed Shulk as he sighed contentedly. 

“The view’s incredible,” Reyn observed, and Shulk nodded in response. 

“Yeah,” Shulk hummed, looking at his best friend, who also looked quite relaxed. 

“We should come here often, just the two of us,” Reyn smiled, turning his head to look at Shulk. “We should spend more time together!”

“Reyn, we spend almost every waking moment around each other,” Shulk chuckled. “I’m not complaining, I’m just saying we already spend a lot of time together.”

“Yeah, but I meant, like, going out and doing other stuff! Didn’t you wanna go to that new museum downtown? We could do something like that! Besides, you need to get out of the house more.”

“That’s… true. Especially with, y’know, recent circumstances,” Shulk sighed. Reyn put a hand on his shoulder as a reassuring gesture.

“Y’know, I’ve been thinking a lot about what we should do about… your situation,” Reyn began. “Because as much as I know you want to finish this semester… I think you should put a pause on school for now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you really aren’t in a good place right now, I mean maybe not at this very moment, but in general you’re going through a rough patch. And that just makes everything harder. So, I think you should take a break… I mean, you’re gonna have to do some paperwork for that, but you need it.”

“Reyn… I-”

“Just… think about it for a bit, yea? That’s just what I think you should do, but I’m not you, and I dunno exactly what’s going on in that head of yours.” There was a slight pause for a moment while Shulk pondered. Maybe Reyn was right… taking a break didn’t mean dropping out, it’s just exactly what it sounded like. Taking a break. 

“I think you’re right, Reyn,” Shulk said. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to… go back, but, I’ll take as much time as I need.” 

“And I’ll be here for as long as you need me,” Reyn patted Shulk’s shoulder and flashed a smile.  _ God… What did I do to deserve him?  _ Shulk thought to himself. 

The walk back to the apartment building was quiet, but Shulk didn’t mind. He was just glad to have his best friend by his side.

  
  
  



End file.
